“No…”
Feeling the man was about to do something improper, Zhou Ruoxi, who had been startled awake, quickly pressed his hand down. Her pretty face flushed as she got up from Wan Yunting’s embrace, tidied her dress, and turned to give the man a lingering glare. “You bad man,” she said coquettishly, “all you think about is bullying me. Don’t you even look at where we are? If someone comes in and sees us, won’t it ruin me?”
Wan Yunting also got up, pushed Zhou Ruoxi back into her office chair, and chuckled, “What if I told you I had Junior Sister Jiang keeping watch outside the outer sect?”
Zhou Ruoxi’s flushed face froze, and she pointed at the man with a mixture of shyness and anger, “You’ve been plotting this for a long time.”
“Haha…”
Wan Yunting laughed, then turned and looked at a row of bookshelves, picking up a book at random. “How is it, how does it feel to be the sect leader?”
Seeing that the guy had finally calmed down, Zhou Ruoxi composed herself and said, “Not great, just tiring.”
Wan Yunting glanced at her and chuckled, “Who told you to choose this path back then?”
Zhou Ruoxi tidied the items on her desk and turned to give him a sidelong glance, humming softly, “What, do you want me to follow you and have palace dramas with your other women every day?”
… Her words made Wan Yunting awkward. He couldn’t focus on the book in his hand. He turned, walked around to Zhou Ruoxi, bent down, rested his head on her fragrant shoulder, and chuckled, “Let me tell you something.”
Zhou Ruoxi’s cheeks were still flushed. She turned her head to glance at him from the corner of her eye and said, “Go ahead, what is it?”
Wan Yunting said, “When I return to the Wuliang Daoist temple this time, I’m going to take Gu Luotang and the others to the valley beneath Kunlun Mountain for closed-door cultivation. So, I’m seeking your opinion!”
Zhou Ruoxi’s pretty face stiffened, but she felt inexplicably happy. She hummed, “You’re taking them to the valley for closed-door cultivation, why are you asking me? Besides, you inherited the skills of the Xiaoyao Sect, not me.”
Wan Yunting’s mischievous hand was teasing Zhou Ruoxi’s pink earlobe. He chuckled, “Isn’t that our secret? Since I’m taking others down there now, I naturally need to seek your opinion…”
“What if I disagree?”
Zhou Ruoxi’s beautiful eyes looked at him playfully from the side, and she smirked.
Wan Yunting’s expression faltered. He immediately stood up and sighed, “Then I won’t take them.”
“Are you sure?”
Zhou Ruoxi narrowed her eyes, looking at the man who seemed indifferent. Wan Yunting spread his hands and said, “I promise.”
“Oh, please. I know you too well.”
Zhou Ruoxi rolled her eyes, unwilling to argue with him about such things. “Do whatever you want. Just don’t casually tell any other women about what happened between us in the valley. I don’t like it!”
Wan Yunting’s expression froze. He had just told Gu Luotang. This made him cough awkwardly. Immediately, Zhou Ruoxi turned her head, her beautiful eyes glaring at him furiously, “Did you tell that Gu Luotang?”
Wan Yunting could only offer an embarrassed smile. This made Zhou Ruoxi so angry that she clenched her fist and hit him. But the man grabbed her wrist, and with a turn, Wan Yunting sat on the chair. Zhou Ruoxi fell into his embrace, held tightly, and he chuckled, “Don’t be angry. Luotang won’t blab about our affairs. Besides, if I didn’t tell her, how could she have asked me to come find you now?”
Zhou Ruoxi, nestled in his arms, didn’t struggle. She glanced at him from the side, “I can tell you trust her a lot!”
Wan Yunting smiled, “After all, she’s like you, having gone through life and death together.”
“Is that so? Then tell me about your story with her.”
Zhou Ruoxi didn’t get up, continuing to sit in Wan Yunting’s embrace, curious to hear what life-and-death experiences the man and Gu Luotang had shared…
Wan Yunting naturally recounted his experience of being trapped in the Ling Mountain cave with Gu Luotang and facing life-or-death situations. This surprised her, as the man’s experiences with Gu Luotang were so similar to her own with him.
“Alright, I forgive you.”
Seeing this, Zhou Ruoxi was no longer angry and even had a better impression of Gu Luotang.
“So, you also agree to let me take them to the valley for closed-door cultivation?” Wan Yunting asked happily.
Zhou Ruoxi nodded, then raised an eyebrow and asked, “Is the Heavenly Eye Main God Cult really that difficult to deal with?”
Speaking of this, Wan Yunting nodded solemnly and said, “Even the Old Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain is no match for their Main God!”
Zhou Ruoxi’s beautiful eyes showed a worried gaze as she looked at the man, “Then what do you plan to do?”
Wan Yunting gently stroked her tender, rosy cheek and chuckled, “What else can I do? First, I’ll improve my martial arts, and then at next month’s martial arts gathering, I’ll unite with the various sects to jointly resist the Heavenly Eye Main God Cult. You, the Sect Leader of the Emei Sect, will have to support me then!”
Zhou Ruoxi turned around, lifted her skirt, and sat directly in the man’s lap. Her delicate hands cupped Wan Yunting’s face, and her autumn eyes gazed affectionately into his eyes, smiling, “Don’t worry, no matter what you do, I, Zhou Ruoxi, will support you!”
Wan Yunting embraced her slender willow waist, a sly smile curling up on his lips, “Then, will you help me circulate my energy to heal my injuries now?”
Zhou Ruoxi’s beautiful eyes immediately revealed a charming demeanor. She suddenly twisted her body forcefully, causing Wan Yunting to let out a yelp, “If you break it, you won’t have a happy future!”
“Hmph, I’ll break it, so you can bother fewer other women…”
By the time dinner arrived, Zhou Ruoxi and Abbess Yunbai personally hosted Wan Yunting and Gu Luotang. They would be leaving the Emei Sect the next morning.
And the considerate Gu Luotang granted Wan Yunting permission to stay out for the night. That night, the man secretly snuck into Zhou Ruoxi’s private chambers, and the two spent a passionate night. It wasn’t until five in the morning that Wan Yunting quietly left and returned to the small courtyard, practicing on the rooftop until eight in the morning, when Gu Luotang and Qi Miaomiao woke up…
Despite a wild night, dual cultivation with Zhou Ruoxi to heal his injuries had significantly improved Wan Yunting’s internal injuries…
At nine o’clock, in the outer hall of the Emei Sect, Zhou Ruoxi, dressed in a gray and white long dress, maintained a solemn demeanor. She, along with Abbess Yunbai and others, saw Wan Yunting and Gu Luotang off. “Sect Leader Zhou, please visit our Emei Sect more often when you have time in the future.”
Wan Yunting cupped his fists and said with a smile to Abbess Yunbai, “Don’t worry, I will visit again in a month to treat Junior Sister Jin Yu.”
“Thank you for your trouble,” Abbess Yunbai nodded.
Zhou Ruoxi’s beautiful eyes looked at the man. She couldn’t show her longing in front of everyone. “Sect Leader Wan, I’ll see you at the martial arts gathering next month!”
“Alright, Sect Leader Zhou, Abbess Yunbai, please do not see us off. We bid you farewell,” Wan Yunting said, cupping his fists one last time. Then, with Gu Luotang and Qi Miaomiao, he grabbed his luggage and descended the mountain.
Zhou Ruoxi and Abbess Yunbai watched them descend the mountain for a while before turning back. Abbess Yunbai and Zhou Ruoxi walked alone. Abbess Yunbai said, “Ruoxi, do you have feelings for Sect Leader Wan?”
Zhou Ruoxi’s pretty face froze, and her heart tightened. Abbess Yunbai turned and looked at her askance, “I noticed it when you returned from the Wuliang Daoist temple. He came to our Emei Sect, helped you deal with the Grand Elder, and successfully helped you take over as sect leader. All the signs indicate that your relationship with him is unusual.”
At this moment, Zhou Ruoxi lowered her head like a little girl who had done something wrong. But Abbess Yunbai smiled, “It’s alright. It’s not wrong for you to have feelings for Sect Leader Wan. On the contrary, I strongly support you.”
“However, as you know, our Emei Sect’s rules state that the sect leader cannot marry or have children. I hope you two won’t be discovered by outsiders. It would be bad for our reputation if it got out.”
Zhou Ruoxi looked up, astonished at the usually stern Aunt Yunbai, never expecting her to support her relationship with Wan Yunting.
“You will understand later.”
Abbess Yunbai didn’t say much more and turned to leave.
Zhou Ruoxi remained standing there, thinking for a moment, still not quite understanding…
Meanwhile, on the other side, Wan Yunting, carrying his luggage, took Gu Luotang and Qi Miaomiao down the mountain by cable car. Then, they took a car directly to the airport. At noon, a private jet took off, heading directly to Golmud City in the west. They arrived at the airport at four in the afternoon. After a brief rest, they took off again at six in the evening, arriving at the Huatuogou Airport in Magen City.
As it was too late, Wan Yunting, Gu Luotang, and Qi Miaomiao found a hotel near the airport to stay for the night. They woke up at eight in the morning, washed, packed their things, and left the hotel. After breakfast at nine o’clock, they began their journey by train to Buxida County.
It was already three in the afternoon when Wan Yunting, Gu Luotang, and Qi Miaomiao arrived at Buxida County. As soon as they stepped out of the train station, Wan Yunting made a phone call: “Sister Lu, where are you?”
At that moment, in a small restaurant in the county town, Lu Xiaodie and Senior Sister Zheng Rong were eating. They had also arrived in the county town not long ago. Upon receiving Wan Yunting’s call, Lu Xiaodie stated their location. After waiting for about fifteen minutes, they saw Wan Yunting, dressed in a coat, enter with Gu Luotang and Qi Miaomiao, who were both wearing long down jackets…
“Oh, Sister Luotang, Sister Miaomiao, you’re here…”
As soon as Lu Xiaodie saw Gu Luotang, she excitedly went to hug them. Qi Miaomiao also happily called out, “Sister Lu, it’s been a long time! You haven’t come to Huadu City to see us.”
Lu Xiaodie touched Qi Miaomiao’s little face and said, “Sister Lu took Senior Sister Zheng back to Shaoxing. Then, Brother Yunting called me over, and I heard you were coming too. I’m so happy.”
“Yes, yes, we are too,” Gu Luotang also smiled happily, as they were very familiar with Lu Xiaodie.
“Let me introduce you. This is my Senior Sister Zheng Rong.”
Then, Lu Xiaodie pulled Zheng Rong and introduced Gu Luotang and Qi Miaomiao to her. “Senior Sister, this is Gu Luotang, Brother Yunting’s girlfriend. This is Qi Miaomiao, our Junior Sister.”
Zheng Rong first greeted Wan Yunting. Looking at the gentle, beautiful, and ethereal Gu Luotang, she said, “So beautiful…”
Qi Miaomiao pouted and said, “Senior Sister Zheng, aren’t I beautiful?”
Zheng Rong froze for a moment, not quite reacting. Lu Xiaodie immediately laughed and pointed at Qi Miaomiao, “This girl just likes this kind of personality. She’s so much fun.”
“Hee hee…” Qi Miaomiao giggled playfully. Zheng Rong then reacted and said, “You are cute and beautiful.”
“Thank you for the compliment, Senior Sister.”
Qi Miaomiao smiled happily. The two women talked nonstop upon meeting, so much so that Wan Yunting couldn’t get a word in. He could only order food while also calling his junior brother Li Zihang to send a car to pick him up…